“I did what I could,” replied Mr. Gilwaters. “I made some inquiry in the neighbourhood in which they had lived. All I could discover was that Mrs. Brake had disappeared under extraordinarily mysterious circumstances. There was no trace whatever of her. And I speedily found that things were being said--the usual cruel suspicions, you know.” “Such as--what?” asked Bryce. “That the amount of the defalcations was much larger than had been allowed to appear,” replied Mr. Gilwaters. “That Brake was a very clever rogue who had got the money safely planted somewhere abroad, and that his wife had gone off somewhere--Australia, or Canada, or some other far-off region--to await his release. Of course, I didn't believe one word of all that. But there was the fact--she had vanished! And eventually, I thought of Ransford, as having been Brake's great friend, so I tried to find him. And then I found that he, too, who up to that time had been practising in a London suburb--Streatham--had also disappeared. Just after Brake's arrest, Ransford had suddenly sold his practice and gone--no one knew where, but it was believed--abroad. I couldn't trace him, anyway. And soon after that I had a long illness, and for two or three years was an invalid, and--well, the thing was over and done with, and, as I said just now, I have never heard anything of any of them for all these years. And now!--now you tell me that there is a Mary Bewery who is a ward of a Dr. Mark Ransford at--where did you say?” “At Wrychester,” answered Bryce. “She is a young woman of twenty, and she has a brother, Richard, who is between seventeen and eighteen.” “Without a doubt those are Brake's children!” exclaimed the old man. “The infant I spoke of was a boy. Bless me!--how extraordinary. How long have they been at Wrychester?” “Ransford has been in practice there some years--a few years,” replied Bryce. “These two young people joined him there definitely two years ago. But from what I have learnt, he has acted as their guardian ever since they were mere children.” “And--their mother?” asked Mr. Gilwaters. “Said to be dead--long since,” answered Bryce. “And their father, too. They know nothing. Ransford won't tell them anything. But, as you say--I've no doubt of it myself now--they must be the children of John Brake.” “And have taken the name of their mother!” remarked the old man. “Had it given to them,” said Bryce. “They don't know that it isn't their real name. Of course, Ransford has given it to them! But now--the mother?” “Ah, yes, the mother!” said Mr. Gilwaters. “Our old governess! Dear me!”